


WoI Episode 6: Bonds and Choices

by MrsHamill



Series: Riding the Wheel of If [7]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Multi, Multiverse, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-03-27
Updated: 2000-03-27
Packaged: 2018-08-19 23:17:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8228129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsHamill/pseuds/MrsHamill
Summary: Is screwing yourself masturbation?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hiperbunny wrote the first section, it's a crossover from her magnificent "Bonds of Choice" series.

The bang of re-entry was lost in a sea of noise, coming from the cross-corridor just ahead, which led to the garden. Obi-Wan stumbled, then shook his head, regaining his balance and equilibrium. He pulled up his hood and made his way outside to get his bearings, and found a surprise. The garden of this new reality was wholly dissimilar to the one he had just departed. The trees were thick with streamers, colored lanterns hung from barely-visible threads, a band played on a dais not far away. Obi-Wan simply stood in the doorway and goggled.

A line of dancers approached him and he turned away quickly, hurrying back through the door. Once back inside the Temple he discovered a large stand of masks and quickly selected one, a blue half-face that neatly obscured his features. He paused to take in the decorations of the Jedi Temple, but simply couldn't comprehend it.

The walls were thick with flowers, the ceilings obscured by chains of golden hoops, paper hearts, mock birds, origami bells, dialedas … oh. It suddenly occurred to him what he was seeing: every wedding symbol he'd ever encountered, plus a few that were new but recognizable. It appeared that someone was to be married.

He walked to the end of the hall and pushed through a screen of beads. The grand promenade was thickly crowded with Jedi in festive clothing. They mingled together, sharing drinks, food, laughter. Lots of laughter. One particular laugh drew his attention. He turned, following the sound to its maker, and felt his jaw drop with surprise.

_If I keep doing that, I'm gonna have to get a sling for it_! he berated himself. The universe, it would seem, had more surprises for him than mere aggression and violence. Qui-Gon was lounging against the promenade railing, a paper crown upon his head. He was nominally wearing a thin white shirt, though it hadn't been buttoned. His denim pants stopped at the knees and showed considerable signs of wear. The sandals upon his feet were the next thing to useless. He was conversing with several other Jedi, but seemed to be waiting for something.

Obi-Wan had only the loud clatter of boots and a smattering of shouted laughter to warn him before he was shoved aside with an oddly familiar "'Scuse me, pardon me, coming through, one side there …" He was buffeted on all sides as a copy of himself ran past him with three young Jedi in hot pursuit. Obi-Wan stood, stunned, as he watched himself skid up to join Qui-Gon, hiding behind the Jedi Master.

Qui-Gon crossed his arms and put on a formidable expression, stopping the posse in its tracks. He held out one large hand and the leader of the group, a blue mergirl, gave over the gold paper crown she had been menacing this new Obi-Wan with. Qui-Gon said something, and they all laughed.

Then, with a look of utter tenderness, he placed the crown on Obi-Wan's head and a kiss upon his nose.

The girl snatched a glass from a passing tray and raised it. "Huzzah! Hurrah du penda netu! Hurray Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon!”

The cheer was taken up by everyone on the promenade. Obi-Wan turned and made his way to the lifts. Hurrah the happy couple indeed.

\---

Obi-Wan lay sprawled face-down across the ledge of a fountain in the garden where he had spent the night. The sun was up now, and shone on the water reflecting into his eyes, making them tear. He had one brown bottle in his hand, and his foot was beating a slow tattoo on the marble. His hair was still damp from the shower he had gotten in one of the gyms earlier that morning.

Sitting up, Obi-Wan stretched a bit, and took another sip from his bottle. He looked up at the sun, as though to gauge the time, and pulled his backpack to him, rummaging through it. Abruptly, he felt a Force probe skitter across his mind; he gasped and turned towards the Temple, looking for the source of the probe.

In the shadows near the Temple walls, a man stood observing him. He was of medium height with longish, very curly brown hair, one strand of which was currently wound about a finger and being tugged on as his narrowed green eyes studied Obi-Wan. Not dressed as a Jedi, he wore blue pants, low soft boots and a gray suede tunic, unlaced at the throat.

The man came towards him, body utterly relaxed, eyes flicking from trees to fountain to Obi-Wan and back again. He stopped about four feet away and crossed his arms, one foot absently rubbing at the other. He smiled, a warm invitation to confidence. His eyes glittered with curiosity. When he spoke, his voice was pleasing, a light tenor that belied the seriousness of his words.

"Well, if it weren't for the fact that I saw Obi-Wan Kenobi get kidnapped by Trainees not ten minutes ago, I'd think you were him," he said. "You'd better have a good excuse for being an exact replica of a Jedi Knight. Otherwise, you're dead where you sit."

Propping his knees up under his chin, Obi-Wan took another swig from his bottle and studied the reflected sunlight on the water. “Well, best do it now then. Because you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Once again the Force probe skittered across his shields, and this time, Obi-Wan let it in past some of his barriers. The other man chewed his bottom lip for a long moment, considering his options, but his eyes never left Obi-Wan. The young knight felt that if he even breathed wrong, he’d be dead faster than he could realize he’d passed on.

“Try me,” the other man finally invited, cocking his head to one side, the tenor of his voice intensely curious.

Snorting, Obi-Wan said, “All right. I’m from another reality, another dimension, where my Master, my Qui-Gon, has died. A different Temple entirely. I was accidentally put on this road, but now I’m traveling all the possible ‘ifs’ looking for a place I can live, a place … a place with Qui-Gon.” He took another swig. “Going to kill me now?”

For a long moment, the only sounds were birdsong, mechanical humming, the muted roar of overhead traffic. Then the strange man said, “No, but if you’ve got another bottle to offer me, I'd be glad to join you. I'm no stranger to the complications of reality variation. You see, I'm in the habit of shifting the threads of time. Same theory, different practice.”

Obi-Wan grinned and fished into his backpack, coming up with another brown bottle. Taking it and popping the top, the man stuck out his other hand. “Kourt Crowe.”

“I think you know my name,” Obi-Wan responded, returning the firm grasp. “Should I call you Master Crowe?”

Bouncing to a seat next to Obi-Wan and taking a long swig, Crowe said, “You can call me anything you like. I’m sure I’ve been called it before. This is good stuff.”

“Yeah. Only have three bottles left, though, and when it’s gone …”

Crowe looked at him askance. “Huh? It’s good, but it’s just root beer. Get some more.”

Gaping at him, Obi-Wan said, “You have root beer in this reality? Damn. Maybe I should think about staying …”

“Ah. I take it you weren’t thinking about it earlier, then.” He propped one foot up on the ledge before him, wrapped his knee in his arm, and began tugging on his hair again. It was starting to dawn on Obi-Wan that this man was never still, and his whole body was beginning to twitch in sympathy.

“No.” Obi-Wan shook his head and looked back at the water. “I’ve been here since last night. I – I saw Qui-Gon. He’s not my Qui-Gon, and anyway, there’s a me here too.” He grinned weakly at Crowe. “Does that even make sense?”

Blinking solemnly at the younger man, still tugging on the abused lock of hair, Crowe said, “Sure it does. But then, I’m weird for a Jedi. Why don’t you think he’s your Quigs … I mean, Qui-Gon?”

“Well, for one thing, my Qui-Gon wouldn’t wear ripped pants and flip-flops,” Obi-Wan replied wryly.

Laughing out loud and scaring some birds into flight, Crowe said, “Well, then your Qui-Gon is stuffier than ours. And ours is pretty stuffy at times.” After another swig from his bottle, he continued, staring out at the trees around the garden, “And just so you know, he belongs to this reality’s Obi-Wan anyway. So I guess I couldn’t advise you to stay long either.”

Sighing, Obi-Wan finished the last of his drink and stood, picking up his backpack. “I – I noticed that, last night. I’m getting a little tired of being beaten out by myself at every reality … and that doesn’t even make any sense. I guess I …”

“Hold on.” Crowe fished a small device out of his pants pocket and spoke into it. “Corubia Nall.” After a moment, a female voice issued from it.

“Nall.”

“Rubi! Are you done spoiling the Initiates? Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, Master, what’s up?”

“Stop by a caterer and pick up a six-pack of root beer. The good stuff. Meet me by the big ugly fountain in the seolant garden.”

“Ooookay …” The pleasant female voice seemed puzzled but accommodating. “I’ll be there in five.”

“Great! Oh, wait! Is Obi-Wan still with you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good. Make it a six-pack of root beer and a six-pack of that nasty ale he likes, and bring him along.”

As he replaced the tiny communications unit in his pocket, he shrugged at an open-mouthed Obi-Wan. “Might as well let you go well-stocked.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Obi-Wan sounded dubious.

“Have you run into yourself in your travels before?” Crowe demanded. “Did anything bad happen?”

“Yeesss … and no.”

“Well then. Pretty good odds, don't you think? Anyway, Obi could use a sympathetic ear just now. This was supposed to be a _small, intimate_ ceremony, but now everyone in the Temple's involved. I can't blame them; we could use a good party.” Obi-Wan blinked, completely and utterly lost. Crowe didn’t seem to notice, just continued on blithely. 

“Once the kids get here, you can tell us a bit about what’s happened to you, we can drink some good root beer, eat a couple of sandwiches and speed you on your way. Obi-Wan is a spectacular cook. But I suppose it’s not a good idea to introduce you to Quigs. He’d probably want to take both of you to bed and his Obi-Wan is a bit possessive.”

The backpack dropped with a thump as Obi-Wan sat back down and watched the iridescent blue-green mer-woman from the evening before – and himself – approach from across the garden, each bearing a six-pack.

\---

It was a sated and happy Obi-Wan who sat in lotus and centered himself before powering his ‘saber. Master Crowe had suggested that, in order to avoid the nausea and disorientation from the transfer, he use the Force to better ground himself before-hand. Slipping into a light trance, he powered his ‘saber. The disorientation was still there, but lessened, more tolerable. Obi-Wan was glad for that, considering all the sandwiches and root beer he had just consumed.

Coming out of his light trance, he looked up. Nothing in the sky at all but some small, puffy clouds. _All right …_ he thought, then looked out at the horizon. No buildings. _Hmmmm …_ Twisting slightly, he looked back at the Temple.

Whoa. The Temple was a slender, pure white tower, shooting up into the sky. Instead of the high-tech, glass-enclosed bubble, it was all pure lines and glorious smooth perfection. Obi-Wan realized his jaw was once again in his lap, and closed his mouth slowly. _Am I ever going to get used to what the universe keeps throwing at me?_ he wondered in futility.

Wrenching his eyes from the spectacular sight before him, he looked around the garden – a garden curiously devoid of trees. There was a figure – a man? – in white seated on the grass not far from him, his back to Obi-Wan. Although this person had undoubtedly heard his noisy arrival, he had never moved from what looked like a lotus pose. Cautiously, Obi-Wan approached him, drawing a wide circle as he approached the man’s front.

_Oh, shit,_ he thought, as he recognized the serene face before him. _It’s me again._

Before he could turn, gray-green eyes opened and regarded him pleasantly. “Welcome,” the other man said quietly, smiling gently. “I’ve been expecting you. Would you like to sit down?”

Blinking, Obi-Wan considered the request. _Here we go again, another bizarre one,_ he thought, resigned. “All right,” he said slowly aloud, kneeling. He kept his hand on his ‘saber, just in case. As he knelt, he became aware of a niggling Force prescience gnawing at the peace in the back of his brain. When he tried to focus on it, it simply skittered away. He knew what this meant, and simply tried to relax himself to all sensation, tried to be aware of the Moment when the reasoning for the prescience would make itself clear.

“You probably have many questions,” his other self was saying earnestly. “I know I would. And since you’re me …” A coy smile lit the young-looking face, one that Obi-Wan found himself mimicking stupidly.

“Um, yes. How is it that you could be expecting me? And why …” he trailed off.

“Why am I not running from you, screaming?” he laughed. “Same reason, I guess. The Goddess told me to expect you. Of course, I didn’t know exactly when you’d be here, but I knew you would. You see, you are going to be our savior.”

Taken aback, Obi-Wan digested that news with a bit of alarm. “Um … if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not,” he finally said. “I mean, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks lately, and …”

“Oh, I know,” the other interrupted. “The Goddess told me you would arrive after many trials. We have plenty of time … well, perhaps not plenty, but enough. Come on. I’ll take you to see Priestess Billaba. Between the two of us, we can explain.” Obi-Wan agreed and rose with the other man, aware of a strange sense of ‘wrongness’ that he associated with the Force warning.

The inside of the Temple was as beautiful as the outside. Obi-Wan discovered that the reason he had not seen any other buildings was that the garden in which he had arrived was suspended very high up along the Temple spire. “We had it built when we found out you would arrive,” his other self explained. “It’s called the hanging garden. It’s the highest green space on all Coruscant.”

Digesting this interesting – and rather alarming – tidbit, Obi-Wan remained silent until they reached the much lower, more inhabited portions of the Temple. In a sunny, pleasant room, which rather reminded Obi-Wan of the Council Chamber, they found Depa Billaba. The lovely woman was wearing a snow-white robe and was sitting at a loom, weaving some sort of tapestry. She looked up as they came into the room.

“Ben! He’s finally arrived, then,” she said, locking down the loom and rising. Mimicking the other man, Obi-Wan bowed over the hand that was presented to him. Depa Billaba was strong in the Force in Obi-Wan’s home world, and she was just as strong here. But that persistent sense of ‘wrongness’ permeated her as well, and the slight frown between Obi-Wan’s eyebrows remained.

“We are so happy to see you, Knight Kenobi,” she said. “Come, let us sit and talk. I’m sure Ben hasn’t had enough time to explain the whole situation.”

Following Master Billaba to a comfortable-looking sofa, Obi-Wan looked at his doppleganger. “Ben?” he asked, confused.

They sat, and Billaba poured tea. “Ben is my milk-name,” the other man replied. “I was given the name Obi-Wan when I was accepted to serve the Goddess, but when I started having visions of you coming, well, we reverted back to Ben. To avoid confusion.”

Obi-Wan nodded, outwardly seeming as if this were the most normal pronouncement in the world, inwardly gibbering in confusion, overcome with bafflement. Billaba laughed lightly. “Your heart belies your bewilderment, Knight Kenobi. Ask your questions, please. Be at ease.”

Sipping the sweetened tea, Obi-Wan wondered where to start. “All right. You keep referring to the Goddess. I’m afraid I don’t follow. Where I come from, we serve the Force.”

Ben and Billaba exchanged smiling looks. “The Goddess said you would follow her by another name,” Ben said. “She is that which is in all things. The light and love; the goodness that is in all hearts. Or at least most …”

“Ben.” Billaba’s voice was lightly chiding but she still smiled. 

“Sorry, Priestess,” he murmured, ducking his head a bit.

“Ben is yet a padawan of the Order,” Billaba explained to Obi-Wan. “He still has trouble believing that everyone has goodness in their heart, has the protection and love of the Goddess. Even the Enemy.” She smiled gently at Ben, positively radiating peace and contentment.

Obi-Wan took a deep, cleansing breath and slowly let it out, trying to release his frustration and confusion as well. It didn’t work. “All right …” he said slowly. “Then who is your Master, Ob – I mean, Ben?”

“Priestess Billaba is my Mistress,” Ben replied. “She says I have much potential.”

“High potential?” Obi-Wan murmured, remembering something from the last reality he visited.

“Yes, Ben has much potential,” Billaba said dreamily. “He is very highly favored by the Goddess. Witness your arrival! She has told us that when the Enemy becomes strong, a Champion will appear. And here you are. Our Champion.”

Really confused by this time, still plagued by the sense of wrongness the Force was feeding him, and not a little put off by his hosts’ calm acceptance of his presence, Obi-Wan shook his head. “Er, I hate to burst any bubbles, but I really don’t think of myself as anyone’s champion. And from the looks of things, you really don’t need one. You’re not at war are you? Are the Sith active here?”

Shaking her head, Billaba said, “That is not a word I am familiar with, Knight Kenobi. Our Enemy is but a single one, as has been foretold in the books of prophecy." Her voice became almost sing-song. “He seeks to pervert all that the Goddess brings about, all happiness, all joy, all goodness. The Goddess has indicated that you will be the one to defeat the Enemy, lest he destroy all that we have built here.”

_This is ridiculous,_ Obi-Wan thought to himself. “All right. Let’s start there. Do you have these prophecies written down anywhere? Perhaps if I can get a better handle on them, I’ll understand what you’re talking about.” _Fat chance,_ he continued to himself. The level of bliss around here was actually getting to him. 

“That is an excellent place to start. Ben? Why don’t you take Knight Kenobi to the library. Perhaps you can assuage his puzzlement there.” 

“Yes, Priestess,” Ben murmured, standing and bowing. “This way, Knight Kenobi, I’ll take you there.”

As they walked out of the room and through the Temple, Obi-Wan kept his eyes open. Everyone wore white, and appeared to be in a constant state of happiness. He saw no arguments, no fighting, no anger apparent… but he also saw no teasing, no loud laughter, no yelling. Even the playroom they passed, full of children at play, was quiet and peaceful. “Ben?”

“Yes, Knight Kenobi?” Ben replied, turning and smiling at him.

“Oh, please. Just Obi-Wan or Obi … after all, you’re _me_ …”

Ben chuckled. “I guess that’s right. It’s not as hard as I thought it would be to be with you.” The young man actually blushed a bit as he walked. “I – I had no idea I was … well, so good looking. Do we really look that much alike?”

Obi-Wan grinned. “Like looking into a mirror. You … ah, you’re very nice looking too.” Unaccountably, he found himself blushing. _Odd,_ he thought, _I didn’t feel like this with the other ‘mes’ I met …_

“Anyway. I wanted to ask you, Ben … why is it so, well, so quiet?”

The other man looked at him askance. “Quiet?”

“Well, yes. Even the children don’t yell at play. It’s like … it's like everyone’s on drugs or something.”

Ben seemed very confused. “Why would anyone want to raise their voices? Except, of course, in praise of the Goddess. Don’t you live by the Code in your world, Kni … I mean, Obi?”

“The Code? Well, yes, if you mean ‘there is no emotion, there is peace.’ But that’s just a guideline," Obi-Wan said. Ben frowned. "Master says we should follow our hearts, as the Force wouldn’t guide us the wrong way.” As he spoke, the Force prescience that had been relegated to the back of his mind suddenly surged forth again, demanding his attention.

Ben did not look happy with Obi-Wan's words. “It’s not just a guideline to us, Obi. The Goddess dictates it. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no passion, there is serenity. We live by the Code, it shapes our very lives. Oh, here’s the library.”

Shelving the discussion momentarily, Obi-Wan stood and gaped at the size of the room they were in. Easily four stories high, there must have been millions of books, all different sizes, types, and kinds. Electronic, paper bound, scrolls – they were all here. “This is amazing.”

“It is pretty neat, isn’t it,” Ben agreed happily. “The prophecies are over here.”

Indicating a space the size of Obi-Wan’s apartment in the Temple, Ben walked to a large table and opened one enormous book. “There are thousands of books on prophecies, but this one is the best for what you are looking for. It details what the Enemy will be like, and how the Champion will defeat him.”

“I’m supposed to read that?” Obi-Wan said, his heart sinking.

“Oh, no,” Ben laughed. “I’ve already done that. I can show you where the best parts are. Here.” Gently, he lifted the huge pages until he found a section near the end. “This is it. ‘And the Champion shall come, and he shall be as one of the Goddess, yea, the very likeness thereof, but he will not know Her.’ That’s you. You’re just like me, but not me at the same time. Get it?”

Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan nodded.

“Now, here’s the description of the Enemy. ‘And he shall come, bearing tales. And these tales shall seduce the Children’ – that’s us – ‘and they shall be amazed and overcome. Guard the Children well, lest they turn their faces from the Code and be corrupted.’ That’s what the Enemy will try to do, corrupt us,” Ben said, with a shudder. “And here’s where you come in. ‘And the Champion will rise, and with the Enemy will meet.’ See? You’re going to fight him.”

“Um, Ben,” Obi-Wan said slowly, reading ahead in the passage, “meet does not necessarily denote fight, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” Ben said easily. “But this is archaic language, you know. Everything has a subtext.”

Biting his tongue, Obi-Wan didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “I don’t see anything here that says this Enemy will destroy you. Why can’t you fight him?”

“Oh, no!” Ben said, appalled. “We don’t fight. Not ever. ‘There is no passion, there is serenity,’ you know.”

Obi-Wan just stared at the other man. “You don’t fight," he repeated, appalled. "Ever? Not even to defend yourselves?”

“Grace of the Goddess, no! It would go against everything we hold dear. We are _holders_ of the peace. Not defenders of it!”

“So if someone … like this Enemy … were to attack you, you’d just roll over and die.” Obi-Wan tried, but couldn’t quite keep all the scorn out of his voice. Ben didn’t notice.

“Better to die and join the Goddess than to pervert all She stands for,” Ben said piously. It was beginning to grate on Obi-Wan’s nerves. He sighed. Something was really wrong here. The Force was jangling at his nerves harder than ever, giving him a slight headache.

“All right,” he finally said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can you show me to my quarters? I think I need to meditate.”

“Oh, of course!” Ben said. “I usually meditate in the afternoons as well. Could I join you?”

“Sure. I guess. Whatever.” 

Quickly, Ben guided him to a spartan apartment, which was obviously not a guest quarters, judging from the few mementos scattered about. “Ben, is this your room?” Obi-Wan asked, suspicious. 

“Well, yes,” Ben replied, confused. “I do hope you don’t mind staying with me. We’re a bit cramped at the moment. And … and, well,” here Ben frowned. “For some reason, I want you to stay with me. I think … I think the Goddess is indicating we should stay together for now.”

“Oh, all right,” Obi-Wan said, setting his backpack down and removing his cloak. He sat on a small wooden chair and removed his boots, wiggling his toes with a sigh. “That feels better.” He noticed Ben watching him curiously, and asked, “What? Is something wrong?”

“No,” Ben said, quickly, bending to remove his own boots. “It’s just … I find you … I think I’d better meditate,” he finished, blushing.

Obi-Wan saw that blush and wondered, then grinned as a thought hit him. He stood, stretched luxuriously – making sure Ben saw him – and sauntered over to where the other man knelt. As they composed themselves for meditation, Obi-Wan asked, “So, Ben. Are you seeing anyone? Is there any Temple gossip I could hear?”

“S– seeing anyone?” Ben stammered. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know. Dating. One of the first worlds I went to, ‘I’ was bonded to Siri. Is she in this reality?”

“B-b-bonded?” Ben’s eyes were huge, and just confirmed what Obi-Wan suspected.

“Uh-huh. Lovers. Hard to believe, huh? I always thought of Siri like my sister. And that one reality where Master was female … “ he shook his head, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “I never thought I could find a woman as attractive as I did her. Wow. When we kissed …”

“You kissed someone?” Ben’s eyes by this time were basically jumping out of his head, and his skin was beet red. 

_I bet he’s radiating into the infra-red,_ Obi-Wan thought to himself. “Ah. You must be a virgin in this reality. I’m sorry to have embarrassed you …”

“Oh, that’s all right,” Ben said hurriedly. “It’s just that … I mean I never … well …”

“Would you like to hear about the worlds I’ve been to?” Obi-Wan asked, all innocence.

Swallowing heavily and glancing at the door, Ben dropped out of lotus and leaned forward. “Oh, could you? Would you?”

“Sure.”

\---

Obi-Wan spent the next hour, as the sun slowly moved across the window, telling Ben about his travels. Somehow, the tales ended up focusing on the sexier parts, rather than the fights and adventures. Ben kept licking his lips as his jaw grew slacker. There was a rather noticeable bulge in his leggings. Fondly remembering his times with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan noticed he had a similar bulge.

He looked at Ben, who was taking on the aspect of a canine in heat, and said with a wry grin, “I’m sorry, Ben. I’ve gotten you rather hot and bothered. If you’d like me to leave you alone …”

“Oh, no, please,” Ben said softly. “I mean, I can meditate any time …”

“Meditate? Is that what you call it?” Obi-Wan laughed.

Ben looked confused. “What else would I do?”

That brought Obi-Wan up short. “Wait a minute. Ben. What do you do when you … ah, oh shit. What do you do when you get a boner like you’ve got now?”

“A what?” Obi-Wan pointed to the other man’s crotch and the bulge therein. If it were possible to turn more red, Ben did. 

_How can he have a hard-on when all the blood in his body is in his face?_ Obi-Wan wondered absurdly.

“The precepts are clear,” Ben said, in a level tone of voice, pedantically. “Carnal desires are not of the Goddess. We meditate and release all negative forces into Her.”

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and shook his head. “That’s … that’s just _wrong_ , Ben. The Force is all around us. It is everything that is a part of us. Including our sexuality.”

Looking dazed and confused, Ben said, “But … there is no passion …”

“Screw that,” Obi-Wan all but growled. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he centered himself and sank into the Moment, seeking his path. It was as he had come to suspect … these Jedi had basically gone too far … way too far … in one direction. They needed to be brought back to the center again, redirected from this path that would eventually lead them to their destruction. It was so plainly and painfully obvious Obi-Wan wondered how it was that these people couldn’t see it for themselves. 

He opened his eyes again to see Ben gaping at him. “You – you touched the Goddess! You really ARE the Champion! I’ve never seen someone so attuned …”

Frowning, Obi-Wan said, “All right. If that’s what you call it, fine. But I have to ask you to do something, Ben.” Abruptly, he leaned across the small space that separated them and locked his lips onto the other man’s. It wasn’t nearly as strange as he thought it might be – in fact, it was quite nice. Except that Ben, too shocked to move, didn’t respond.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered roughly, breaking the kiss. “Seek the For … I mean, your Goddess. Determine your path, Ben, and act accordingly.”

Shaking, Ben did as he was bid. His eyes closed, and Obi-Wan could feel him slowly ground and center, the process a bit hampered by his extremely serious arousal. After a moment, his eyes flew open to meet Obi-Wan’s. He lunged, and Obi-Wan found himself with an armful of himself, clumsily kissing him.

_Now_ this _is weird,_ he thought, struggling to gain control of Ben. He managed to straighten his legs out, and then rolled, pinning Ben beneath him. “Act, don’t think,” he murmured, kissing Ben passionately. “Trust in your instincts.”

“Oh, yes,” Ben moaned, as Obi-Wan opened his tunic and explored his chest.

Obi-Wan proceeded to remove both their clothing slowly, keeping Ben on an arousal high that had the man fairly vibrating. Dimly, kissing his way down Ben’s chest, he realized he was fracturing into several pieces. One part was listening to the Force direct him, and knew this was the correct path. One part was laughing hysterically over the situation, and was making rude comments about masturbation. One part dispassionately dredged up every sexual encounter he had ever had, remembering what had felt good and what hadn’t. But the biggest part just had a raging hard-on that needed attention, and this young man with his face was a more than willing vessel to assuage it.

More than willing indeed. When Obi-Wan’s mouth reached Ben’s penis, the other man screamed hoarsely and came violently, after just the one lick. Bemused, Obi-Wan used his post-orgasmic torpor to remove the rest of both of their clothing, then used Ben’s semen to slick his cock and fingers. “Roll over, Ben,” he whispered. “It just gets better, trust me.”

Dazed, Ben rolled over, and Obi-Wan urged him to his knees. Gently, he inserted one semen-covered finger past the other man’s anus, searching for and finding the little gland deep inside. Ben yelled again, bucking against his finger. “Wh-what are you doing?” he gasped, looking back over his shoulder.

“Something you should have done when you were sixteen,” Obi-Wan answered, adding a finger and stretching gently.

“Oooooohhhh …” Ben moaned, burying his head in his arms. “This is … oh, Goddess, I can’t … Obi-Wan … Please … _please_!”

“Please what, Ben?” Obi-Wan asked, grinning ear to ear. His gentle stretching done, he placed his slick cock at the tight opening and began to push. _This might be just glorified masturbation,_ Obi-Wan thought as his cock was enveloped in the tight heat, _but by the gods it’s good …_

Ben proved to be every bit as sexual a being as Obi-Wan was. Their first wild penetration ended in both of them orgasming, and suddenly Ben couldn’t stop. He demanded kisses and licks, learned about sucking and biting, and basically reduced Obi-Wan to a puddle of hormones. Several hours later, in the dimness of the early evening, they lay in a sated, sweaty heap, covered in semen and incapable of moving. 

“Ben?” Obi-Wan asked softly. “You feel all right?”

“All right?” Ben asked incredulously, languorously. “I’ve never felt this good in my _life_. I don’t understand why this is prohibited …?”

“I don’t either,” Obi-Wan said, managing to turn himself over and lifting himself on one elbow. “But I’m going to find out. And fix it if I can.” Reaching out his hand, he laid it across Ben’s forehead and with a gentle Force push, put him to sleep. Rising, he carried Ben to the bedroom, where he tucked him into bed. After using the ‘fresher to clean himself up, he went back to the main room and got dressed.

“I think it’s time to meet this Enemy,” He muttered to himself as he clipped on his ‘saber. The Force agreed with him.

\---

The Temple was quite still as Obi-Wan made his way back to the library. There was something he had seen in the big book that made him wonder … It was still on the table, still open. He glanced down at the page, reading quickly, then smiled to himself in satisfaction.

It wasn’t hard to slip out. He had noted from Depa Billaba’s window a small, thriving town surrounding the Temple, at a small remove from it. He walked quickly along the well-kept road, looking for lights and noise.

He found it in a boisterous pub on the far end of town. The bartender was a genial man who did not recognize him as a Jedi, and to Obi-Wan’s questions, let him know that the Jedi were considered to be gentle but pretty much useless. Then he directed the young man to a large house about a klick outside of town, lending him a lamp to see in the darkness.

It wasn’t long before Obi-Wan was knocking on the door of the large, comfortable house. The door opened to warmth and music, and Obi-Wan looked up into deep blue eyes. “Hello, Qui-Gon,” he said, smiling.

\---

The house was filled with animals – canines, felines, ferrets, birds – all living in harmony with Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan was put into a large comfy chair by a fireplace, fed, and used as a perch for half a dozen animals. Qui-Gon took the chair opposite him and they talked long into the night.

Qui-Gon accepted his wild story easily, in fact, was fascinated by it and asked numerous questions. The only problem he had was when Obi-Wan began talking about the Jedi in the nearby Temple. “So they consider me to be the Enemy? How absurd,” he said with a snort. It was late that evening, and both men were getting tired.

“You feel Force sensitive,” Obi-Wan said, sipping tea. “Were you a Jedi? One of them?”

“Well, yes and no. I was raised in the Temple, but cast out as a young man, a very young man. I –" and here Qui-Gon reddened a bit, smiling wryly – “I couldn’t control my passions. It’s a rather sordid tale.”

Obi-Wan laughed. “Then I think we have a solution to this ‘problem.’ According to that ridiculous prophecy, the Champion is to meet with the Enemy. Well, here we are. The next line is the key, I think. Do you know it?”

Rolling his eyes, Qui-Gon said, “I spent years studying that piece of drivel. Depa Billaba believes it to be gospel, but you know what? Half of those other books contradict it. And I’ve done research on the Jedi who wrote it. He was quite mad.” Shaking his head, Qui-Gon stroked the cat purring on his lap. “We’ve forgotten what we were supposed to be. We’ve even forgotten how to heal. Did you know,” he leaned forward, “the townspeople used to be able to go to the Temple for help, for all kinds of help. Depa closed it off ten years ago. Said the Jedi were becoming corrupted by ‘outside influences.’ Now the townspeople come to me, and others like me, who couldn’t stand to just sit idly by and count our toes while people died.” He took another sip of his tea. “Depa just might have a rebellion on her hands one day, if she’s not careful.”

Grinning, Obi-Wan said, “Then it seems to me that the Enemy is just the one to lead it, no?”

Qui-Gon looked startled, then laughed. “I guess so, young Jedi, I guess so! But then, if you think that way, just whose champion are you?”

“Now, that’s the secret,” Obi-Wan said, rubbing the side of his nose and still grinning. “That next line … it says, ‘For lo, the Champion will bring the Goddess back to the Jedi, and all will be amazed, and all will be changed.’ Now aside from some pretty bad free-form poetry, I think that’s pretty telling, don’t you?”

Qui-Gon had to agree.

\---

Very early the next morning, pre-dawn, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan went back to the Temple. Creeping in, they made their way to the quarters of one Ben, otherwise known as Obi-Wan, Kenobi. Qui-Gon had no clue who the young man was. “I was cast out over twenty years ago, Obi-Wan,” he had argued. “This young man means nothing to me.”

“Oh, I think he might change your mind, Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan had said, smugly. “Anyway, the Force … I mean, the Goddess, is telling me this is the right course. Trust me.”

Reaching their destination, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon entered the room and moved to the bedroom. Ben had been put to bed without being cleaned up – rode hard and put away wet, as it were – and had been indulging in some pretty wild sexual shenanigans beforehand, so he smelled much like a whorehouse might. The room was ripe with it, and Obi-Wan could tell Qui-Gon was not unaffected.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Obi-Wan gently shook the young man’s shoulder. Ben woke slowly, smiling and stretching sensuously under the thin sheet. “Obi-Wan,” he purred. “What …?” Suddenly he saw the other man in the room and his eyes widened. “Who is that? Obi-Wan?”

“Calm down, Ben,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s a friend. Ben Kenobi, I’d like you to meet Qui-Gon Jinn.”

Qui-Gon simply couldn’t take his eyes off the gorgeous young man on the bed. He was physically an exact replica of Obi-Wan, who admittedly was very attractive, but … but … there was something about this Ben … Going to his knees by the side of the bed, Qui-Gon took his hand and said gently, “I’m very happy to meet you, Ben.”

Obi-Wan stood and moved away. The Force was singing between the two men very strongly and very happily, pulling them together. Obi-Wan noted wryly that Ben’s eyes were locked on Qui-Gon, and he was blushing again, a bright, fiery red. If the tent under the sheet was any indication, Qui-Gon was in for a very interesting couple of days.

Picking up his backpack, which was still in the main room of the apartment, he threw his cloak back on. He felt only a slight pang at leaving; this reality was absolutely not for him, that much was clear. But as to why the Force had brought him here …

“What have you done?” Depa Billaba stood in the hallway outside Ben’s rooms, her arms akimbo, an expression on her face that could have melted plastic.

Shrugging, Obi-Wan said, “You wanted me to meet the Enemy, so … I met the Enemy. And, well, he’s in there.” A psychic Force explosion rocked them suddenly, it’s epicenter a few feet behind them. “Ah. I think your Goddess has spoken to them. She might speak to you too, if you let her.”

“No! This isn’t … oh, no, please …” Billaba moaned, shaking her head. Her hands were pressed to her mouth and her eyes were wide with panic.

Feeling sorry for her, Obi-Wan put his hand on her arm. “Listen to your Goddess, Priestess. You’ve been closed up for far too long.” As an afterthought, he quickly tugged her head down and kissed her, quite passionately, with significant tongue involvement, leaving her breathless. “Why don’t you go in and see if you can help them?” he gently suggested to the dazed woman, patting her on the shoulder as he walked towards the stairs.

By the time he reached the hanging garden, the entire Temple was in an uproar. Obi-Wan sat in lotus and centered himself, chuckling. _Well, it was_ interesting _, at least,_ he thought, as he pulled out his ‘saber and pressed the switch.


End file.
